Strawberry-runner cutter



(No Model.)

0l D. CARTER; STRAWBERRY RUNNER CUTTER.

No. 535,787. Patented Eeb. 5, 1895.

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Unirse STATES PATENT CHARLES D. CARTER, OF SPRING ARBOR, MICHIGAN.

STRAWBERRY-RUNNER CUTTER.

EPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 533,787, dated February5, 1895.

Application died April 7, 1894. Serial No. 506.761. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom if; may concern.-

Be it known that l, CHARLES D. CARTER, of Spring Arbor, in the county ofJackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulimprovements in Strawberry-Runner Cutters; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains tomake and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, whichform part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in strawberry runner cutters; andthe object of the same is to provide a machine of simple constructionfor effectually and rapidly severing the runners from strawberry plants.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafterfully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 2is a perspective view of the same,showing its position when the runnershave been carried to the knives. Fig. 3 is an end view, showing theknives depressed.

A are standards having feet A and connected at their upper ends by theparallel cross bars B. The upper ends of the standards are broadened atC where the bars rest thereon and by means of the plates C and bolts Cthe standards are adjustabletoward or away from each other, thusadjusting the distance between the same to the plant being operatedupon. The lower ends of the standards are bulged or enlarged and placedtherein are the inclined knives D, while at the upper ends of the bulgesare projectingguiding noses E.

Journaled between bars B is the vertical shaft F having at its lower endthe clamp F in which are adjustably secured the angular fingers G, thevertical portions of the fingers being curved in opposite directions asshown. The lingers are designed to turn snugly between standards A andare adjustable with relation to each other so as to be conformable tothe adjustment of said standards.

Extended upward from barsB are thebraces H carrying at their upper endsthe bearing H for the upper portion of shaft F. Above this bearing theshaft is liattened as shown at I which terminates in one spiral turn I.Movable vertically upon shaft F and braces H are the parallel bars J,which are also parallel with bars B, and extended vertically from thesebars are the handle arms K, having between them the slotted cross bar Lthrough which the flattened upper end of the shaft extends as shown.

M are rods movable vertically and provided with stops Mat their upperends and knives N at their lower ends which latter move in suitableguides O on the standards. Extending vertically from said guides are therods P which extend through perforated lugs N at the upper ends of theknives, and about these rods are coiled the springs Q, which serve tohold the knives and their rods M normally raised. The last named rodsare provided between their ends with the adjustable stops R.

In operation the machine is set over the plant with its parts in theposition shown in Fig. 1. By depressing the handle K the cross bar Lmoves downward on the flattened spiral portion of the shaft, therebyrotating the same and with it the lingers. This movementgives to thefingers G just half a revolution which carries the runners into thebulges of the standards and directly over the knives D. The downwardmovement continues after the revolution of the shaft, the bar L movingon flattened portion I, and the stops R are engaged by the cross bars J,thus depressing the rods M and knives N, and severing the lrunners bythe scissors action of knives Naud D. Alift on the handle of the machinesufficient to raise it draws upward its movable portion, bars J engagingstops lv serving t-o separate the knives by drawing upward rods M andthe upward movement of bar L traversing the spiral portion of the shaftreverses its movement as well as that of the fingers, so that they areagain positioned as indicated in Fig.

nl, ready for another operation.

l. The combination of the standards having bulges therein, knivessecured in the bulges, vertically movable knives which ycooperate Withthe first-named knives, fingers for drawing the runners to the bulges ofthe standards, a means for depressing the knives,

' and a means for operating the fingers, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination of the standards' having the iixed knives, thevertically movable knives, andthe springs arranged as shown for holdingthe last named knives normally in a raised position,y substantially asshown and described.

3. The combination ofthe depressible knife carrying rods, and theadjustable stops thereon, for the purpose shown and described.

4. The combination of the bars B, the standards upon which they rest,the standards being movable on the bars, clamping platee on the upperedges of the bars, and securing bolts, substantially as shown anddescribed.

5. In a runner cutter the combination of a shaft, ugers on its lowerend, a spiral `s ,rear aty its upper end, a depressible frame forvibrating the shaft, and suitable knives to which the runners are drawnby the fingers, substantially as shown and described.

- 6. The combination of the shaft, having the f flattened portion I nearits upper end, the 'spiral twist terminating said flattened por- CHARLESD. CARTER.

Witnesses:

J. T. HAMMOND, B. J. CARTER.

